“The Academy has a huge collection of botanical specimens. Included among those are many orchids, and they even have the actual collection of all the plant specimens that were gathered buy the Lewis and Clark expedition.”

Bob Sprague, co-chair of the show, says merchants will come from all over the world for this. Good thing, because orchids are almost everywhere.

“Orchids are a big part of the botanical world, with over 30,000 species growing on six continents, everywhere but Antarctica.”

You can easily take home a stunning specimen, but Sprague warns care varies widely.

“Every orchid has a unique habitat niche — the conditions of soil, water, aspect to the sun, wind, elevation and of course, the biggie is moisture. The bottom line is you have to know the origin of your orchid or the orchid’s parents and duplicate those conditions.”

Sprague says Phalaenopsis, also called the Moth Orchid, is a good bet for beginners because it likes the kind of habitat you’re likely to have in your home already.

Sprague is hoping the new Academy venue will put the show in front of a wider audience.